The present invention relates to coffee mugs in general. More specifically to a mug with interchangeable accessories for personalizing its appearance and tactile qualities.
Previously, many styles and types of coffee mugs have been developed in endeavoring to achieve a pleasing appearance and handling qualities. Prior art has attempted to accomplish this quality by making a large number of individual mugs each having different characteristics however none have made these features interchangeable.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that possess any of the novelty of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
Letsch et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,888 discloses a carafe with an inner container surrounded by a casing. The inner container and the casing have an opening at the top which may be closed by a separate plug. The plug and opening in the container and casing are shaped such that it is possible to fill or empty the inner container while the plug is still in the opening. The plug and container both have mating grooves that provide opposed flow paths into and out of the container. The container also includes a basin around the top for receiving coffee from a coffee maker and the plug has openings to provide a flow path from the basin into the container interior.
Karp in U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,703 teaches a travel mug that includes a container and a lid in combination. The container has a handle and an annular lip that has an annulus capable of forming a seal with the top side of the annular lip. A cylindrical well in the lid has a vertical dividing wall such that the lid may be readily rotated by hand. The retaining arms extend from the underside of the lid and engage the underside of the annular lip to pull it into tight abutment. Diametrically opposed gaps in the lip act as passageway for the retaining arms. Similarly diametrically opposed notches in the lid align with the gaps to allow liquid to be poured from the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,761 issued to Wissinger is for an insulated container and cover combination that has an outer container shell terminating at an opening with a surrounding edge. An inner container shell is nested within the outer container shell and has an opening surrounded by a continuous edges in abutment with the surrounding edge. The inner container shell is spaced inwardly and is out of contact with the outer shell. A cover mounting assembly is attached to the outer shell adjacent to the opening. A single seal, made of elastomeric material, has a sealing surface disposed at the interface of the shells. Locating rings define the removable cover mounting assembly and locate the single sealing ring on the inner and outer shells.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention is related reference may be made to the remaining cited design patents.
Coffee mugs are frequently used by many people and they are carried from place to place throughout the entire day becoming a rather personal item. Fairly recently stainless steel vacuum insulated or double wall coffee mugs have been introduced that have a very attractive appearance and they are popular in this country as well as throughout the world. Since these mugs have an advantage in there insulating qualities and are shaped pleasing to the eye, they can become a source of pride to the user. In an attempt to fill the needs of the public, many different shapes and styles of mugs have been developed and marketed. The problem of taste still remains, however, since what is attractive to one person may not look good to another.
Therefore a primary object of the invention is to have a mug with interchangeable accessories permitting the indivedual to select the combination of components that appears to be the best in their personal judgment. By marketing the accessory components separately individuals may not only select the combination that is pleasing in appearance to their taste but may choose a handle that has a good feel and is easy for the person to grip, therefore both the attractiveness and comfort may be simultaneously satisfied.
Another object of the invention is that the lid, handle and docking station may all be selected individually. The lid may have different color, surface finish and features such as a simple opening for pouring, a stopper for positive leak tight sealing or a convenient sliding cover. The handle includes a replaceable bracket that fits into a groove in the mug body which may have a number of shapes and colors with the handle itself varying in shape and size. The handle is attached to the bracket with a clip that blends into the shape of the handle and yet is removable per se. To assure a constant tight fit between the bracket and the mug body optionally a bracket may be selected, containing a number of radial grooves that are spaced around its periphery. The radial grooves retain small o-rings that compress and hold the bracket securely in place in applications where its use requires structural integrity.
An important object of the invention is directed to the ability of the mug to have a docking station attached to the bottom. The removable docking station has threads in the center to mate with mating threads in the coffee mug base. This permits the best of both worlds in that when the coffee mug is used on a flat surface the station permits it to be very stable since the base is large enough to spread the weight evenly over a liberal area and yet when the docking station is removed it fits easily into vehicle cup holders. The stability is extremely important as it is common to place a coffee mug in close proximity to keyboards, papers and work surfaces where coffee spills could be catastrophic. Further the configuration of mug is specifically sized to fit almost all conventional cup holders in a wide number of motor vehicles.
Still another object of the invention is that a retailer may stock a wide variety of accessories and replace only the well accepted components as required, not leaving the unpopular items overstocked as is the case with the complete individual mugs. Furthermore replacement of components may be easily made at a later date, if the user decides to update the mug or if breakage occurs.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.